What is ASMR?

For many people, ASMR (short for "Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response") seems to be a concept that has only just become a reality. In fact, however, the topic is already years old and has accompanied many people for a long time in their everyday life. Because already in the year 2012, a felt eternity ago, my wife started to "listen" to ASMR videos in the evening to be able to fall asleep better. By the way, the term ASMR for these whispering videos has been spreading since the year 2010!

What is ASMR actually about?

ASMR is the name of the reaction, therefore "Response", to mostly acoustic but also visual or haptic stimuli. With most people this is expressed by a "goose skin" feeling.

This often manifests itself as a tingling and pleasantly felt sensation on the skin (so-called "tingles"). These tingles are often experienced in a similar way to gentle electrostatic discharges.

These tingles usually start on the scalp of the back of the head and move along the neck and upper spine down to the shoulder area. For most people this feeling is associated with relaxation, calming and well-being. For many people, ASMR, like autonomous training, helps them fall asleep and "switch off" and can therefore also be a stress management option.

Trigger

These feelings are triggered, for example, by the following:

• pleasant sounds (e.g. rubbing of hands or lip sounds)
• quiet voices and soft whispering
• calming gestures
• light touching of the head (e.g. when washing or combing hair)